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kyufessions · 2 years

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Missing Person

synopsis: you’ve been happily dating your boyfriend, mark lee, for the past two years. but what happens when all of a sudden your best friend sends you a missing persons article and your boyfriend is listed as missing for the past three years?

pairings: boyfriend! mark lee x g.n. reader

genre: thriller/horror

warnings: blood, knives, killing, physical fighting

word count: 7.1k

a/n: in no way do i depict any member of nct like this, especially mark lee. i just wanted to write something dark for halloween so here we are. i had many ideas for this one but decided to make it shorter lmao. hope you enjoy ~

taglist: @joyumo @lovingvoidgoatee

general taglist: @jwnghyuns @eaudenana

rain drops pelted the train window as you stared out into the setting sun, creamsicle skies mixing with a vital red that brought your nerves to a halt at the scenery behind the glass. normally you’d hate the summer rain, since it always seemed to ruin any plans you had, but being stuck inside this moving train with thirteen hours left with nothing to do but binge watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine reruns on Hulu and take occasional naps made you realize that maybe it wasn’t all too bad- maybe there was some beauty in things that you hated. with pink sweat$’s 17 playing at full volume in your airpods and a mug full of hot cocoa in both of your hands, you felt like you were in some romantic film. you know, the pretty individual staring out into the trees as they admire the fast-moving world outside all while the handsome stranger across the way from them is admiring their effortless beauty. and, truth be told, that’s what was happening. you just didn’t know until you saw someone sit across from you at the corner of your eye, making you turn your head to greet them and ask if you had bothered them in any way.

the handsome stranger smiled at you, making you smile back as you removed one of your earbuds from your ear to give him some of your attention. his blonde hair swooped over just above his eyebrows underneath his navy blue beanie that complimented his blue and white striped button-up, a white tank top underneath it. the way his smile brightened up his face made you feel comforted, almost like a warm hug. you watched as his frames fell down to the tip of his nose, making him scrunch up his nose in an attempt to bring them back up to their previous position.

a giggle escaped your lips as you watched him before speaking up. “hello, may i help you? did i bother you at all? i’m sorry if-“

he shook his head in disagreement, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “no no, you didn’t. you just seem pretty chill and i wanted to say hi, if that’s alright.”

for the rest of the ride, you both sat in those spots talking about everything yet nothing all at the same time. he told you all about how he was moving across the country due to getting an amazing job offer fresh out of college, and you exchanged your story as well with him as if you had known him for all your life. you told him about your family, your pets, and the reason for you moving across the country as well: transferring from a two year college to finish off your degree in psychology in a four year university. with each word that left your mouth, he listened with great intent.

and that’s what he did for your entire relationship. he always listened, always showed how much he cared, and never made you feel less than. even during his busiest days in the music studio where he co-wrote songs and even produced some days, he always found the time for you regardless of his schedule. and vice versa; with your busy college schedule and part time job you always made sure to make time for him as well. whether it be study dates where he helped you study for upcoming exams or texting him during work when you were able to sneak onto your phone for five seconds. your dorm mate even got so used to mark staying over that he ended up having designated days where he would spend some nights. but they never minded since he always brought over snacks and dinner for you all.

Mark Lee was a dream come true, a prince charming if you will. Everyone seemed to love being around him and having him in their life, whether it was the occasional meeting of a stranger in line to get coffee and he pays for your drink during the early morning rush or a friend that you kept close to you because he changed your life for the better. Everyday you were reminded of just how lucky you were to have someone like him in your life, even before you both made it official and made your switch from strangers, to friends, to partners. Mark as a partner was even better than you could’ve imagined: flowers and chocolates after a long hard day of exams or work, movie nights where he feeds you pepperoni pizza when you’re half asleep and halfway done with the movie you picked out for you both, little encouraging notes in your lunch bags, even offers you massages when you’re feeling stressed out from everyday life. He was the textbook definition of the perfect boyfriend; you couldn’t ask for more or less from him.

On your one year anniversary, he even wrote you an entire song dedicated the past year and a half together, from when you first met on the train to your last special occasion spent together. He even made a small picnic for you both in his personal office space where he produced and wrote his music, accompanied with a woven wicker full of watermelon, two mini cakes baked from a local bakery you both frequented, along with champagne with tall glasses and other of your favorite foods. Alcohol entered your body as you listened to mark sing to you his song, a slow beat playing through the speakers and his fingers strumming on his acoustic guitar. his small raps cut you off guard but in the best way possible; you loved everything about his sweet gesture and felt yourself falling more deeply in love with him.

on your second year anniversary, he made you another song. but not only did he sing it to you, he sang it to you in front of others on the piano. he had rented out a restaurant for you both to enjoy endless meals for the night, dressed up in very fancy attire that you knew you’d only be able to wear a handful of times before growing out of it. an hour down and reminiscent memories being shared between you two, he randomly got up from his seat and walked down to the grand piano in the middle of the room. you watched him in confusion, your head cocked to the side as you asked him what he was doing. he just smiled at you lovingly as per usual, sitting down on the bench and cracking his knuckles quickly before he started singing along to the melody his fingers played. tears welled up in your eyes at the gesture, his words stinging beautifully as you listened to every confession. falling in love with mark was the easiest thing you had ever done.

two and a half years later here you both were, sharing an expensive loft in the city while working your dream jobs. all the while happily together without any pressure of future marriage or kids from family and friends. your life was perfect, utterly perfect. if anything it was more storybook, something only young kids dreamt of. a happy couple with well paying jobs living in a big city, accompanied with the presence of a five month old ragdoll kitten. everything seemed perfect.

today was just another morning, or so it seemed. only difference was you both were working from home today. mark had his own room to work in when he had to focus on his work while you worked in the bedroom or kitchen; you didn’t mind not having your own space since mark kept his distance when you were busy at work. on days when he worked as well, you both forgot about the existence of one another while you worked for a bit. but with being so secure in your relationship neither of you minded at all.

kissing his puffy morning cheeks, you rubbed your thumb along the stubble on his chin as the rising sun illuminated his soft facial features you never got tired of waking up next to. you watched as he scrunched up his nose lazily, fluttering his eyes open slowly to allow his eyes to gradually adjust to the bright rays. the chirping of birds were mere background noise to the tired chuckles your boyfriend let out as you attacked his face with wet kisses, causing a gleaming smile to spread across your lips.

his arms laid around your waist securely, bringing you closer into his bare chest. “good morning to you too.” he mumbled, his morning voice deep and somewhat raspy.

you pulled your lips from his cheek and down to his lips, pecking it a few times before pulling away and allowing your head to hit the pillow once again. “morning, handsome.”

he shuffled under the sheets, throwing his legs over the end of the bed and rising to his feet. you watched as he slipped on his glasses, adjusting them on his nose as he turned to look down at his partner. he couldn’t help but smile at the sight below him on the bed: you with your head in your hands, staring up at him admirably with a cheeky grin and your morning bed head sticking up in different directions. “pancakes for breakfast, my love?” he questioned as he leaned down to place a soft kiss to your forehead.

the small gesture made your heart flutter immediately, causing your smile to grow wider. “yes please.” you responded, swinging your feet in the air dramatically.

he just ruffled your hair playfully before turning on his heels and leaving the room to start on the pancakes he just promised you. standing to your feet, you grabbed some fresh underwear, sweatpants, and a shirt of mark’s before walking down the hall to the bathroom. as you turn on the hot water, you hear the rustling of the pans in the kitchen on the first floor. you undress out of your clothing, tossing them into the dirty hamper and stepping into the steaming hot shower. with the door cracked slightly open, the sweet smell of banana and cinnamon pancakes fill your nose making you feel more awake and ready to take on the day full of zoom meetings and article writing. you hum to a tune mark recently showed you of his recent work he was planning on sending to a big company for approval, excited to be able to hear another hit of his on the radio and secretly knowing it’s your boyfriend who wrote and produced the song. mark being a ghost writer only hurt when you were reminded you couldn’t show off his creations to the world, other than that you were always very supportive and constantly told people of his career- you just couldn’t expose which hit songs he wrote and produced and for who.

even though mark was very friendly and popular locally, he was also very secretive about certain things such as his past and family. he was very brief about his siblings and childhood, only ever sharing about how his parents lived in canada and he barely spoke to them due to a falling out. whenever you asked, he dismissed it and said it wasn’t important since it was ‘all in the past’. whenever you asked how his childhood was, his regular bubbly personality changed to one full of tension. his frown was evident and eyes full of sorrow, making you change the subject to something else entirely that brought back the mark you had always known. so you never pondered much on the thought of it since everything else he did for you drowned out his secrets.

stepping out of the shower and onto the fluffy carpet on the floor, you dried yourself off with your velvet black towel and walked up to the mirror to start doing your morning routine. multiple steps later, you slipped on your clothing and matching house slippers with your boyfriend that he surprised you with last weekend. you rubbed some product into your hair before walking out of the bathroom and down the industrial spiral staircase, shuffling towards the soft vocals of Bazzi that bounced off the walls of the small kitchen. the sight of your boyfriend in his matching slippers, naked torso, and plain black boxers made your face light up. as previously stated: everything was perfect.

you shared a breakfast with him for the next hour as the cat took turns napping in each of your laps, ultimately deciding to sleep in yours for the last twenty minutes before you switched positions to start your work. mark happily cleaned everything up, not one complaint leaving his lips as he hummed quietly to himself as to not disturb your workday. you caught him catching glimpses at you as you attended a zoom meeting and waved bye to him off camera as he left the room to go do his work for the day.

you always wanted to see his personal at-home office, see how he decorated it or even watch him work his magic. but that was another secret he wanted to keep to himself, always making sure to lock the door behind himself as he exited and entered. he even went as far as to get a code lock for the door and not letting you know the code. one time you even tried every combination it allowed you to while he was out running errands but failed at every attempt you made. curiosity struck you from time to time at what he was hiding behind that wooden door, but you never questioned it since you knew it wasn’t any malicious intent behind it. i mean, he could never do anything wrong. he was mark lee. your loving boyfriend of two years who never did you wrong. so why would he start now?

by the time your zoom meeting ended, it was three in the afternoon and time for checking emails. logging into your emails, you noticed one labeled IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ ASAP from your close friend, jungwoo. he had become a close friend during your time in college, then when you both got accepted into the same company you both became even closer; you now thought of him as a brother. you automatically opened the email, concern flooding your brain as to why he emailed you in all caps at three in the morning. he was always known to be an early bird, even in your college days, so this was very unexpected and a bit odd. nonetheless, you opened the email and read his message attached with a link to a webpage.

i know it’s late, i’m sorry. but you need to see this. let me know when you get this.

was all it said above the link to a missing persons webpage. you clicked it, unsure of what she seemed so scared of in her email. but once you opened the page and scrolled down a bit, you understood. it was a bunch of different people, raging from missing for as long as five years to three months. but somewhere along the middle, you stopped.

impossible. this has to be some kind of sick joke. the face on your screen has to be some edit that one of your friends made as some distasteful prank. but the type of friends you had rarely pulled pranks and if they did they were minuscule and forgetful. this, this was different. an evil prank if there ever was one.

down the hall, the familiar creaking of your boyfriends work studio door was hearing opening. as his footsteps jogged down the steps towards your direction, you quickly shut your laptop closed and started packing up your items, pretending you had finished all your work for the day even though it wasn’t even four in the afternoon yet. the feeling of his arms wrapping around your body from behind startled you, making you jump in his arms at the sudden contact.

“woah, are you good babe?” mark asked you as he moved his face down towards yours, planting a quick peck to your cheek before pulling away to stare at you lovingly.

the pit in your stomach wasn’t comforting in the slightest, if anything it made you want to vomit up all your emotions onto him and run away from your shared apartment. but you couldn’t do that; you had no idea what would even come of it. there had to be an explanation to all this.

you put on your best fake smile, pecking the lips you’ve loved for the past two years that suddenly felt more cold than warm. “sorry, was deep into packing everything up. i just finished for the day!” you attempted to sound excited that you had finished for the day, smiling from ear to ear and believable as you could.

luckily, it worked. mark had a voice telling him something was wrong with you, that something was up, but he ignored it because he trusted you with every fiber of his being. his one hand moved from your body to your hair, tucking a strand behind your ear as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “so early? i thought your work day ended at four thirty?”

“it does,” you started as you wiggled from his grip attempting to stand up from your seat at the dining table. thinking of an excuse to throw him off your trail, you said it in an aggravated tone to show you were at least somewhat serious. well, you weren’t. but you didn’t want him to know that. “but i forgot one of my files at the office for tomorrow and have to run to go get it really quick.”

he just nodded, running a hand through your hair as he placed another loving kiss to your jaw. a fake giggle left your lips, a fake giggle that seemed nothing but real to your boyfriend. he might not buy what you’re selling him, but he knows there’s nothing malicious behind your potential fake lie. if anything he assumed it was for a surprise for him. “tacos tonight? my treat, i’ll place the order online for pickup.”

“sure babe.” you grabbed your briefcase and shut it tightly before walking out of the kitchen and towards the front door to slip on some sneakers. “taco bell or the taco place off of Woodbury and 15th?”

“Woodbury and 15th, duh. they have the best tacos around.” he followed behind you like a lost puppy, watching as you threw on your jean jacket and grabbed your keys from the key hook. “what time should i place it for pickup?”

you looked up in thought, pondering what time it would be best. “four thirty sounds good enough. should be done picking up my files and make it there in time for it to still be hot enough for us to eat when i return. do you need anything while i’m out?”

with a swift shake of his head and a goodbye kiss, you exchanged ‘see you later''’s as you exited the apartment and went down into the parking garage to your car. when you entered the vehicle, you threw your briefcase that you didn’t even need in the backseat so you could grip tightly onto the steering wheel in frustration.

why was your boyfriend, mark lee, on a missing persons list? and why did it say he went missing nearly three years ago? you tried convincing yourself it was a stupid website, a dumb website someone made up to trick you and get a laugh. but it was also an official government website so it couldn’t be fake. it was real. too real.

holding back tears as you drove down to your friend's home, you pulled into his parking lot and ran straight into the building. texting or calling him hadn’t even crossed your mind, you needed to talk to him face to face about this. how did he even find this webpage? when did he find it? was he just as confused as you were? nothing made sense and you just needed answers, any answer that remotely made sense would do at this point in time. within the first two knocks you were face to face with jungwoo, walking straight past him and into his living room with no hesitation in your step. you waited till he closed the door to even attempt at speaking.

“what the fuck?” was all you could say as you stared into the eyes of your distraught friend, taking a seat on his couch before putting your head in your heads.

he made her way to you cautiously, making sure to stay his distance since you seemed so upset by the news. “i found it last night and sent it to you right away. it makes no sense. im just as confused as you are.”

his hand resting on your shoulder brought you comfort, not much comfort but a pinch of what you were craving from anyone but mark- if that was even his real name. “i don’t know what to do.” you turned to face him, small tears streaming down your face that he subconsciously wiped away with his thumb. “do i ask him about it? i mean i met him two and a half years ago and it says he went missing three years ago, so i met him six months after he was reported missing.”

jungwoo shook his head right away. “no, don’t. we don’t even really know him-“

“i do-“

“no you don’t.” he interrupted, his voice remaining as calm as possible. “nobody does. i mean, what if he ran away from doing something terrible? what if he hurt someone?”

“he wouldn’t do that!” you yelled, more tears stinging your eyes as your best friend spoke. you watched his expression change to hurt, making him back away from you and over towards the other end of the couch. “no, i’m sorry. i’m sorry. i’m just- he just seemed so lovely. maybe it’s a misunderstanding?”

he picked up his nearly empty wine glass, taking a sip as he leaned against the armrest. “for three years?” watching you crumble in front of his own eyes made his heart break into pieces; he never wanted to see you like this. “listen, i did as much research as i possibly could before passing out on my laptop and made a google doc about it, i could share it with you if you’d like and we can go over it together tomorrow? when you’re more calm.”

nodding in agreement, you wept in his arms for a bit before leaving his apartment and driving off to pick up the tacos mark ordered in. as you walked up to the vendor, he asked if you were okay since it seemed you were crying. you reassured him you were okay and there was nothing to worry about, smiling along with your lie to try and mask it as a truth. he didn’t buy it but gave you your tacos after payment anyway and wished you a goodnight, telling you to tell mark he said hello.

you made sure your face look somewhat normal before exiting the car and heading towards the elevator of your shared apartment, fiddling with the plastic bag out of habit due to your nerves. as you opened the front door, you plastered on your fakest, brightest smile so mark wouldn’t suspect a thing. and he didn’t, at all. his head shot in your direction as he laid across the sofa, jumping to his feet to go greet you and help you carry in your tacos and briefcase. his lips that greeted you no longer felt like safety, but instead of betrayal.

“missed you, babe.” he commented as he made his way into the kitchen, his smile never leaving his face.

“missed you more!” you shouted in reply, hanging your jacket back up before making your way to the couch to plop down in thought. how were you supposed to act normal around him, knowing he’s a supposed missing person?

the next morning you woke up an hour earlier than normal, wiggling your way out of your boyfriend's grip and quietly making your way downstairs to start the coffee and make some eggs with bacon. as you slipped on your morning cup of energizer, you read the google doc jungwoo had shared with you the previous night. you were reading every bullet point and reading every article he attached.

each article and point he made was more shocking than the last. one article mentioned how there was a late teen who went missing in ontario, canada with an attached photo of what seemed to be a younger version of your boyfriend. you couldn’t even attempt to convince yourself it was someone different- the resemblance was uncanny. the only difference was the name in the article was Minhyung Lee instead of Mark, but besides that there were no differences. a different article went on to explain his childhood, how he was always a troubled kid who always found himself in detention or in different juvenile detention centers. it continued on explaining how despite all of those challenges, he was such a great guy up until the incident.

the article never went into detail or said-incident, but it mentioned the slaying of three family members. reading just that small blurb left you sick to your stomach, but even more so after it explained that after the bodies were discovered in his home he was never seen again. how if anyone ever came across him to not interact or draw suspicion, but instead dial 911 and inform authorities of his whereabouts.

you were so caught up in reading the article you didn’t even hear mark coming down the stairs and enter the kitchen, grabbing a mug from one of the cabinets and starting to pour himself a cup.

“you okay, babe? what’s wrong, bad nights sleep?” he questioned, breaking you out of your daze.

your eyes immediately darted to him, smiling warmly at him to withdraw suspicion of you being awake so early. “you could say that again.” closing your laptop, you made your way over towards the stove and moved the fully cooked bacon and sunny side up eggs onto a plate for him. you turned to face him and noticed him already dressed for the day, taking one last swig of coffee before grabbing his keys from the small bowl on the island counter.

he noticed your confusion and then the plate of eggs, frowning apologetically before grabbing a piece of bacon and shoving it into his mouth. “i don’t have time to eat this morning, i have an important meeting then a long day ahead of me. i’m sorry, i should’ve said something sooner.”

you shook your head in disagreement, leaning over to peck his lips before placing a small one on his cheek. “it’s okay, just make sure to eat when you can and to let me know when you get to work so i know you’re safe.”

he mumbled a soft ‘shit’ as he realized the time, noticing that if he didnt leave now he would be late. he placed his mug down swiftly before placing a sloppy kiss on your forehead and running out the door. normally you’d get giddy about him running late while seeming very professional, the sight being too cute for you to handle. but that pit in the bottom of your stomach wouldn’t leave no matter how much you wish it did. you wish everything was just some sort of sick nightmare and that your loving boyfriend of two years wasn’t some sort of potential killer from canada who’s been missing for three years.

as soon as he left, you called your friend and luckily he answered. you went over the facts you both found, or more so he found and you caught up on. jungwoo comforted you the best he could over the phone, saying you both would figure out a solution together. when you told him mark was gone in the studio all day till late, a lightbulb went off on top of his head.

“try sneaking into his office.” he suggested, running a nervous hand through his hair.

your eyes widened at the thought. “what? but i’ve tried every possible combination, it’s useless.”

“but what if he used the anniversary of the day he committed the crimes?”

you bit down on your lip, pondering for a moment. “but we don’t even know the date-“

“july twenty fifth.” he interrupted. “one of the last articles i sent you mentioned it, but i’m guessing you didn’t finish reading it all?”

“no, mark interrupted me before i could finish the whole doc.” you sighed, ultimately deciding to take on your friend's idea and walking up the stairs towards his at-home studio. “if i’m going to do this, please stay on the phone with me.”

jungwoo reassured you he wouldn’t hang up at all, and he never did. you tried the numbers of the date he provided, but the red blinking light signaled it was wrong.

“it didn’t work.” you mumbled, biting on the inside of your cheek nervously.

“instead of 0725 try 2507, switch it around.” your best friend suggested, anticipation stringing through his words.

after typing in the numbers backwards, the green lights signaled you could open the door and enter inside. wasting no time, you swung open the door and was greeted with something you didn’t expect. it didn’t look anything like a home studio, but instead a lonely mahogany desk with piles of different color coordinated folders and files scattered across the top of it with very few sitting on the floor around the chair. stepping inside, you looked around and noticed a duffel bag sitting at the corner of the room near the window that was closed off with wooden panels. you slowly made your way over there, being cautious not to step on anything or move anything out of place.

the bag itself was already zipped halfway open, allowing you to be able to peek inside and notice some bloody knives sticking out of the side. your eyes widened, making you take a few steps back into the closet of the room. when first buying this loft, you hadn’t noticed this particular closet. but granted you haven’t been inside this room for several months now so you might’ve forgotten it. but since you let your curiosity get the best of you, you found your fingers sliding it open and being greeted by nothing. there was nothing but black clothing, extra sneakers that were also black, but that was until you noticed something dangling from the ceiling: a small rope. you knew you shouldn’t open it, you knew you should’ve just called the cops or even answer your friend who was still on the phone screaming at you to answer him, but you did the stupid thing you knew you shouldn’t have and opened it.

down came a set of wooden stairs leading up to something that seemed to be an attic, or a makeshift attic of some sorts. as the stairs came down, some movement was heard and a light popped on in the middle of the room. you took in a big breath of air before climbing up the dingy stairs and peaking in the room. inside seemed empty, nothing but an extra mattress and a few boxes. but when you heard some shuffling from the corner behind you, you whipped your head in it’s direction and noticed a man sitting there chained up to the wall.

the sight alone almost made you drop your phone but thankfully you tightened the grip on it which caused it to stay in your hands. the man’s eyes widened as well, trying his best to say words but failing to do so as a ball gag was in his mouth. in the background of all this was your friend on the line, asking what all the commotion was. it wasn’t until he said he was going to send the cops that you spoke up.

“this is so much deeper than we thought, jungwoo.” you said to him, making him yell a ‘what’ on the other end. “send the cops. give them the code to my apartment door. tell them there’s a man in the attic.” was all you said before hanging up on him.

leaving your best friend in confusion, you fully pulled yourself into the attic and crawled over towards the scared man. although he was excited to see someone else for a change, he was also scared you were part of what mark had going on. he cowered in fear, backing up into the wall as he watched you remove the ball gag from his mouth. he was unsure whether to scream or just stare, so he opted out on just staring at the stranger in front of him.

you stared back, not sure what to even say to him. “what’s your name?” you asked him, putting the ball gag to the side of him as you stared down at his condition. his clothes were dirty, ripped at some edges and obviously had been worn out for quite some time now. the sight made you frown, tears welling up in the back of your throat. but you kept them down, you had to for this stranger that was being held captive by your boyfriend for some unknown reason to you.

“taeil. moon taeil.” he replied, his voice sounding dry and broken. “who are you? please help me, i’ve been up here for months.”

suddenly, you heard the front door of your apartment open and mark shout out that he forgot something and apologizing for disturbing your work. eyes widening, you slip back on the ball gag as tears fall from his eyes, quiet mumbles of disagreement falling from his lips being heard from him before you tighten it on him. you quietly pull up the rope to hide the stairs, making sure it closed tightly before shuffling around to find a place to hide. you ultimately decided on the abnormally large yet dusty toy trunk in another corner of the room, unlocking it quickly and squeezing in as tightly as you could before you heard mark pull down the rope to enter the attic.

you heard him tsk as he crawled up the creaky wooden steps, an obvious smile on his lips as he spoke. “you’re lucky this room is soundproof, you're moving around way too much for my liking.” he said, his tone different from his usual one. this one was threatening, more scary and off putting.

taeil’s muffled cries were filling the room, earning a small laugh from mark. this laugh was different as well, very sarcastic and something fueled by rage. “i have a proposition for you, taeil.” you heard something being picked up from the floor, earning a loud muffled scream to be heard from the chained up stranger. “tell me where they are, and i won’t kill you tonight like i planned.”

your eyes widened. he couldn’t possibly be talking about you, could he? no, it’s impossible. you’ve been quiet this whole time, and you made sure to not leave a trace that you had been in his ‘studio’. your mind flooded with what he was referencing, but everything kept pointing back to you. and what does he mean tonight? is that why he was staying at work late and encouraged you to go out and have fun with audrey? so he could sneak home early and get rid of taeil?

a shake of some chains could be heard, signaling taeil had shaken his head. “come on, i know they’re in here somewhere. i saw on the camera, now where are they?” fuck. you didn’t even notice any cameras. “if you tell me, i’ll let you go right now.”

another shake of the chain and you soon heard footsteps approaching the toy trunk, meaning taeil gave you up. as much as you wanted to hate him for telling mark, you probably would’ve done the same if you were in his situation. you could’ve sworn your breathing stopped as you heard the lock twist on the toy trunk, soon the dim lighting of the attic showing you your boyfriend with a knife between his fingers. he smiled down at you, not with love or admiration but with something sinister.

he shook his head with a chuckle, kneeling down to your eye level as he teased you with the already bloody knife. the blood seemed recent, and when you glanced over at taeil for a split second you noticed a fresh mark across his chest that was dripping from a fresh wound. attempting to mask your fear was no use, even if you did try your hardest to. mark was able to see right through you, the mark you thought you knew.

“how’d you figure it out, huh?” he brought the knife down to your cheek, trailing the cold metal along your cheekbone with gradual pressure. “how long have you known?”

his evil smile never once left his face, making your insides churn in disgust. you swallowed hard before responding, mentally yelling at yourself not to stutter as you replied to his questions. “FBI’s missing persons list, i’ve known for two days.”

“two days and you’re already getting this nosey? tsk tsk, babe.” the knife trailed down to your jawline, the pressure starting to sting when it starts to draw some blood. “you’re so cute, trying to save little taeil over here but he gave you up without a thought thinking i’d actually let him go.”

screams were heard through taeil’s ball gag, making you both turn to look at him as tears fell from his eyes. without a thought, you quickly kicked mark in the face with your foot with a swift yet hard kick. watching him fall onto his back and the knife slide across the wooden flooring, you jump out of the trunk and run towards the knife, picking it up and climbing down the attic stairs. an aggravated groan was heard from mark as you touched the floor of his supposed studio, running out into the hall and hearing him follow behind you shortly after. you heard him scream after you followed by him grabbing at the shirt you were wearing that was coincidentally his. he pulled you back harshly, causing you to slide across the floor and towards the industrial stairs with the knife falling down to the first floor.

you crawled backwards down the stairs, kicking at him as you attempted to escape. eventually, he fell back onto the floor once more which gave you a few seconds to jump to your feet and attempt to run down to first floor and out the door. but before you could, mark was quick to his feet and grabbed your shoulders. he tried to push you over the railing of the spiral staircase, but you were a fighter. always were, and always will be. you fought back just as hard, even if half of your body was dangling off the edge of the railing and his hands around your neck in attempt to weaken you. in one motion, you brought your knee up to his crotch hard which made him groan and loosen his grip on you. taking this small window of opportunity, you pushed him back and off of the railing successfully.

the noise it made when he fell made you cover your ears, the crack and imagery of his body limp out across the floor with blood pouring out at a rapid rate made you nearly vomit. you slowly made your way down the stairs and towards the front door, not even sparing a glance in the direction of your boyfriend. before you could

turn the handle, the door swung open and in front of you were policed officers with their guns pulled out accompanied by your best friend. all the officers rushed past you and into the apartment while you fell into the comforting arms of jungwoo, your tears finally escaping from your eyes.

you sat on the balcony of jungwoo’s apartment as you read the new article written about mark. it was ten months after the incident had occurred, and people were still writing about everything that happened; even youtubers were making videos about it and netflix and peacock both reached out for documentaries or a dramatic remake of your trauma. of course you declined, even if the seven digit numbers they offered were the tiniest bit tempting.

the full story about mark shocked you to your core, because the mark that you met and loved all those years was not the same mark who tried to kill you that day. after fleeing canada successfully, he took the next amtrak train out to the farthest city and figured he’d wing it when he got there. which he ended up doing successfully. he ended up meeting poor taeil, becoming close friends with him and eventually masking as him in daily life. taeil was a fresh college graduate starting at a new company, and after mark found that out he decided to chain him up in taeil’s own apartment for months and stealing his identity. he posed as taeil at work and did a damn well good job at it. then once you both decided to move in together, he moved taeil up to his ‘at home studio’ attic and the days you thought he was working from home, he was really torturing taeil up in the secret room behind the closet he had built in. every sadistic detail about the past three years was written down in a leather journal he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk, every detail of how he hurt his family, tortured and kidnapped taeil, and how much he loved you. everything was very sick and twisted.

as the summer rain pelted against the metal railing, you couldn’t help but shudder in disgust at the sight and noise. jungwoo, who was sitting beside you noticed this and decided to bring it up. “what’s wrong? are you okay?”

you nodded, taking a sip from your coffee mug as you looked out to the setting sun. the oranges and reds mixed together beautifully, but the view just made you upset if anything. “i’m fine. i just hate the summer rain.”

maybe there wasn��t always beauty in the things you hate.

#kyufessions nct #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #nct dream au #nct dream mark #nct dream angst #nct mark #nct angst #mark lee #mark lee au #mark lee angst #nct au #nct 127 au #nct 127 angst

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mania-sama · 2 months

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Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Crime and Punishment: Short Bungou Stray Dogs Analysis

Finally finished Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. i might do a post talking about my actual thoughts on the book, but not right now because I'm INSTEAD gonna talk about BSD Fyodor because, if I'm gonna be honest, a large part of the reason I read this book was to see if I could get an insight on what his ability could be (obviously I also read it because I know it's an extremely influential book to the psychological thriller literature genre, and it's made me want to read more of his books because I am absolutely entranced by his writing style).

SPOILERS: This book did NOT give me a single damn clue to Fyodor's ability.

However, I do have a better understanding of why Asagiri chose to write Fyodor in that specific way, with the added effect of making Fyodor much more understandable. I have a better appreciation, I think, for Asagiri's character writing. Let me explain:

The large, overarching theme of C&P is the idea that some people are naturally born with the right to kill. That is, people are naturally born into two categories: "Ordinary" and "Extraordinary". The majority of the population falls into the former - they live their lives in submission to the law and to those above them. In essence, they do not have the "right to kill"; they are otherwise overcome with guilt, regret, or simply caught for their wrongdoings.

The latter category has very few people in it, and for a simple reason - they are the ones who are, essentially, above the law, and therefore, the lawmakers. They are the ones who lead the revolutions, sit on the throne, and most importantly, kill when they need to kill and do not hesitate to "step" over their crimes as nothing more than the necessity to power. They are not caught. In fact, they are hailed as the greatest leaders. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and his most constantly referred example, Napoleon. These are the born with the "right to kill".

The main character, Raskolnikov (of whom I will be calling the affection Rodya because I am NOT spelling his name over and over again), believes himself to be a "Napolean". Rodya is the one who came up with this theory in the book, after all. However, he finds out, near the end, after several blunders and mental breaks, that he is not one of the people who can "step" over their crimes. He hesitated before killing his target. His guilt for his two murders sent him into a feverish state for days on end. He walked to the police station to confess his crimes a million times before finding some reason, right before he was meant to do it, to chicken out and continue living life under this ever-evolving notion that he was sorely mistaken about himself. Rodya is not the "Napolean" he thought he was born to be.

How does this relate to the Bungou Stray Dogs character? I believe that Fyodor is, essentially, the embodiment of the "right to kill". He is everything that Rodya thought he was, which is an excellent analysis on the part of Asagiri. One of the first things Fyodor does is kill Ace, then a relatively innocent child, Karma. He does this without blinking, without a hint of remorse, and proceeds with his day. He knows that this is his right, that he is the one above others, that he can kill and he cannot be caught for it. He claims to have mastered and tamed his own ability. Why? Because he is the "Extraordinary."

Another theme that I find quite intriguing is religion. In truth, it really isn't that prevalent (though there are a great many Biblical quotations and references throughout) until the last part, Part 6, of Crime and Punishment. Rodya has a near-constant epiphany with religious belief, even at one point stating, point-blank and in irritation, that God isn't real and He certainly isn't helping anyone in the mortal plane. He oscillates between claiming that the "Devil" forced him to kill, to saying that believers are frantic and stupid, then to kissing the dirty ground in repentance for his crimes. He state of mind ends in that repentance state, a supposed believer and eager to start his life anew.

To make Fyodor a devoted believer in God, with a set viewpoint and acting as an executor of God's will, is, once again, an excellent choice. Rodya's irritation and inner turmoil were one of the many reasons why he failed miserably in maintaining the secret of his crimes. Fyodor is none of those things: he is calm, cool, collected, and set in his ways. Interestingly, in Crime and Punishment, the vilest character also seems to have no particular issues with religion himself. And he, for the most part, gets away with his heinous crimes completely. This battle of belief, and relating it to God, provides a healthy insight to why Fyodor has obtained the "right to kill", versus Rodya, who was born "Ordinary."

The last point I want to seriously touch on is less about Crime and Punishment and more about the author himself. However, I did learn about this through reading the translator's notes (the translation I read is by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, Second Edition (2021), Vintage Classics). Dostoevsky was hugely indebted to Nikolai Gogol as a successor to Gogol's ingenious literary developments in "fantastical realism" and satire. Dostoevsky made several references to Gogol's works in C&P, and none in a critical manner. In the animanga, the roles are completely reversed; Nikolai is the one chasing after Fyodor, admiring his intellect and "ingenious" with the eventual goal of setting himself free. This idea of flipping authors' relationships on their heads is part of what makes Bungou Stray Dogs so entertaining to consume, and it takes a great deal of research and effort to be able to adjust these relationships so that they clearly reflect the real-life ones.

As for one afterthought, the name "Rats in the House of the Dead" appears to be a clever play on the Dostoevsky book Notes from the Dead House. I haven't read this book yet, but I want to (along with Notes from Underground). I'm curious to see if there is any further correlation, but I would assume not, considering the contents of the book.

NO. I did NOT find literally anything that could help me decipher Fyodor's ability. Rodya literally confesses his crime like a week and a half after he commits it. No character in this novel, nor theme, reflects whatever the h e double hockey sticks Fyodor has going on in BSD. I have theories, but they have literally nothing to do with Crime and Punishment outside of the base fact that his ability has something to do with killing (which we already knew). Woe is me. I'll get over it, I guess.

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jaehyunsprincesspeach · 9 months

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Just You and Me

Brb, crying, screaming, sliding down the wall...... i really let my delusions write this one for me omggg

Hope y'all enjoy!!

All the love ~ lunar

Pairing: Yuta x fem!reader

Wc: 2.57k

Warnings: Mentions of stress, anxious feelings, overwhelmed feelings, potentially the fluffiest fluff i've ever written

You're new to the world of fame. As exciting as it all is, you have also found it to be very overwhelming. People have been telling you your whole life that you should be a model, and one day you decided to just go for it. What did you have to lose right? When you were accepted by the top modeling agency of Seoul, you felt so many different emotions. Excitement, nerves, even fear, yet you went with it, wanting to see where this life would lead you.

It's been a month since you have moved to Seoul, and things have been chaotic, to say the least. You have made many friends from all over the world, and that has helped you with the transition, but you often felt that you have no time for yourself. Everyday you wake up, go to the photo shoot that is scheduled for the day, stand in front of cameras, sit in the dressing room changing looks, and when you are up for it, you get dinner with some of the other models. Everyday, the same routine, though you still feel the excitement with the variety of shoots you have been scheduled for. Still, you can't help but feel overwhelmed. Today is the first day you have not had a schedule in a month. What better way to relax than reading in a coffee shop? Lucky for you, you have found one in a rather quiet area, and have made friends with the staff. Walking in, they greet you with a smile, and prepare your coffee for you.

“No schedules today?”

“Nope, not today.” “Good, you deserve some time to relax too. Stay as long as you would like, let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you so much!”

Walking to a quiet corner of the coffee shop, you settle in and begin reading your book. A psychological thriller. Becoming beyond invested in your book, you fail to hear the group of boys walking, talking and laughing rather loudly. Other customers who are enjoying the peace give them sideways looks, while you keep your nose in your book. With the intensity of your reading, you also fail to notice that you have caught their attention. It’s no secret that you have become well known, and you stick out like a sore thumb as is, being a foreigner. It’s a wonder that the group didn’t notice you sooner.

Sitting in a different corner of the coffee shop, one of the boys in particular cannot take his eyes off of you. As the rest of the group continues talking and laughing with each other, there he sits, quietly observing you. He knows exactly who you are, yet to the world, the real you is still a mystery. One that he intends to uncover. In fear that he will lose his opportunity, he gets up, leaving the group of boys confused as he walks to you. Eyes wide open, and jaws on the floor, the group watches intently as the man approaches you.

“Hello, is this seat taken?” He says upon arriving at the table you are seated at, drawing your attention away from the book you are completely engrossed in.

“It's all yours.” You reply with a gentle smile, hoping your excitement is contained enough not to make the man uncomfortable.

If there is one thing that the world knows about you, it's that you have an immense sense of confidence. Not that you think you are better than anyone else, more so that you know your worth, and know that you work hard for the accomplishments you have received thus far. However, being caught off guard by someone you have admired for years, has your confidence slipping a little bit.

“You're y/n right? The recent model sensation?”

“And you're Yuta, K-Pop sensation?” You reply with your own question that you clearly know the answer to.

“So you do know me?”

“Yeah, big fan actually.”

“I'm honored that someone as beautiful as you is a fan of mine.”

“I could say the same about you.”

It's beginning to become a battle of confidence between the two of you, trying to see who will crack first. Everyone knows of Yuta’s confidence in himself. He knows he's attractive, and now, as much confidence you show to the world, Yuta himself is finding out just how unintimidated you are. Little does he know, you are actually screaming on the inside, though that is something that you refuse to show him.

After some time conversing with him, he must return to his schedules. Leaving you with a smirk, and his phone number, you feel like you are finally able to breathe. Adrenaline still coursing through your veins, you decide to head home for the evening, hoping that your flustered state will stay at bay until you are in the comfort of your apartment.

Immediately after closing the door, you happily dance all of the nerves out of your body. Still in shock from talking to THE Yuta Nakamoto, you sit on your couch and attempt to process what happened. Looking at the phone number, you debate on messaging him, thinking it could be too soon, but also thinking, what do you have to lose?

“Is this THE Yuta Nakamoto?” you message, making your joking sarcasm evident enough.

“No way, is this the y/n?” He replies, making you smile as he returns your energy.

The rest of the night is spent on and off messaging him, as he can only text when he has a break with his schedule. Giggles fill your apartment, and the feeling of butterflies is something that you can't contain. Little did you know, Yuta has the same feelings as you. Constantly smiling at his phone, and an immense feeling of butterflies in his stomach. This feeling for him is new. It's rare when he finds someone that he wants to constantly talk to, but he knows that this is the case when he feels the frustration of having to leave the conversation for his schedule. All he wants to do is talk to you. He likes your confidence, and witty comments. He finds it refreshing that someone can match his humor and return it just as well as he can. Both of you can already tell, this is the start of an amazing friendship, maybe even something more.

3 months later

It's now been four months of living in Seoul, and things are just as chaotic as ever. Though you have gotten used to the schedules and constant cameras, you find the most peace when you are with Yuta. Being that you have met all of NCT at this point, most, if not all, of your free time is spent with them. They have become your family, and slowly but surely, Yuta has become your home away from home. Many nights are spent in comfortable silence with him, the two of you doing your own things, simply enjoying each other's presence.

Upcoming events include more photo shoots, as well as your first invite to an award show. The show itself is for K-Pop, though you have been invited as well, being that you are one of the most well known individuals in all of South Korea at this point. Having you there is huge for publicity, being that you have been able to make friendships with many K-Pop idols. Plus, you want to go to show your support for your friends.

With only a few days till the award show, on the outside you are as confident as ever. But internally, you are completely overwhelmed, which is something that Yuta is not blind to. He knows you better than anyone else. He knows that you struggle in large crowds, but you refuse to show it. He knows that this will be the first large event you have ever attended, and your stubbornness refuses to let you show your nerves. What makes you the most nervous, is that you and Yuta are already being swarmed with dating rumors. You know how deeply that can affect not only your career, but his moreso. The rumors flying around have had you on edge for weeks, and though Yuta does a great job of calming you down when he is with you, all of those same anxious feelings are persistent.

You have hid the fact that you want to be with Yuta well, at least you thought you have. Even the photographs that have been taken of the two of you have shown nothing but a platonic relationship, refusing to so much as brush hands with him in public. Even in the privacy of your apartment, or his dorm, the only physical contact is a hug when he knows that you are not okay. Nothing more, nothing less. You have it set in your mind that he wants nothing more than a friendship with you, because as good as you are at hiding your feelings, he's just slightly better at it.

The day of the award show arrives, and you wake up nauseous, unable to keep any food down from the anxious feeling you have. You are put in the most beautiful black dress you have ever seen. Long, and form fitting, with a hint of sparkle. Diamonds drape across your neck, and hang from your ears, with a stunning makeup look done by your artists. It is easily the most elegant you have ever looked, and you are hoping that you will be able to make it through the award show without ruining the look.

Getting into the car, you take as many deep breaths as you can before arriving at the venue. Your style team is riding with you, doing their best to calm you down, yet the only person who you want to be with is him. Doing your best to control your anxiety, you are taken back by the sight you are greeted with when you arrive.

All of NCT has cleared a path, waiting patiently for you to arrive, with none other than Yuta standing at the end, waiting to escort you to your seat, which he has also made sure is right next to him. Getting out of the car, all of the guys begin to whistle at the sight of you looking like true royalty, while Yuta looks at you as if you yourself hung the stars in the sky. He is left speechless, as he extends his hand to you. Reaching for him, he can feel you shaking, yet your eyes never leave his.

“You look stunning, y/n.” He says with a starstruck expression.

“Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself.” You say, returning the compliment with a gentle smile.

“You know, these dating rumors are only going to get worse with all of this right?” You say with an uneasy tone, trying to avoid eye contact with the swarm of paparazzi around you.

“Let them. I want the world to know that the most beautiful woman in the world is mine.”

Finally, after months, you are left speechless. His words take your typical confidence, and leave you at a loss for words. Of course, he notices, and flashes you that smirk that makes your knees weak. After months of a battle of confidence, you are the one who breaks. You are the one left flustered, and he is enjoying not only your dress now, but your speechless state. As if that would be the end of it, you are led to an extremely crowded room. Pausing at the door, you feel a hand on the small of your back, with Yuta in your ear.

“Don't worry pretty girl, I'm not letting go.”

With that you take a deep breath, and start walking again. Your confidence is something Yuta has always admired, but your brave heart is what captured his. No matter how nervous you are, you always continue forward. He's mesmerized by you in every way possible, and he is making it known to the world. Finally reaching your seats, people are looking at the two of you with curious eyes. Yuta, taking notice of you looking around the room, places his hand on your leg, capturing your attention.

“Don't look at them, look at me. It's just you and me.” His words calm your wandering mind, and he sees you relax slightly, which brings a smile to his lips. Throughout the night, Yuta would say things like this when he notices you tense up. “You're doing good, pretty girl, confident as ever.” Though he knows your confidence is faltering. He keeps a hand on you at all times, knowing that you find solace in him being around. For the first time in your life, you find yourself enjoying the chaps of a crowded room, filled with wandering eyes, and cheers, and slowly, you begin to release the tension that you are feeling, which puts Yuta at ease as well. The night is filled with laughter, cheers and applause, and light hearted jokes, and you wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else by your side.

As things wind to an end, you are escorted back to your car by Yuta, who leaves you with a kiss on your knuckles. A bashful smile plastered on your lips, you look at him as if he is the only one in the world, and in that moment, he is. Getting into the car, he closes the door, and rushes to the driver, whispering something in their ear. Curiosity sparks in your mind, as he looks back at you and sends you a wink. Driving home, you can't help but wonder what he said, until you finally realize that the driver has taken the route to Yuta’s dorm, where he is waiting for you.

Walking up to him yet again, he takes you inside, and gives you some more comfortable clothes to change into. After throwing on his tee shirt and sweats that he handed you, you meet him in the living room, where he takes you by the hand, and swoops you off your feet, literally.

“The night’s not over, pretty girl.” Carrying you outside, to see a tarp hung in the trees, a bluetooth projector, fairy lights, and candles, he somehow managed to have your own private after party set up before you got there, rendering you speechless, yet again. Setting you back down on your feet, you look at the sight in front of you in awe, but Yuta is only looking at you. He takes you to sit down, before grabbing your hand again.

“Welcome to the after party.”

“Yuta, this is stunning! How did you manage all of this?”

“I had some help.”

“ I love it.”

“I meant what I said earlier, about the prettiest girl in the world being mine, but you didn't say anything back.” he says, letting his own nerves finally surface. Something you catch onto quickly. Before he can say anything else, you pull him into a gentle, yet passionate kiss.

“I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. I'm all yours.” You say, looking deep into his eyes, as he is now speechless. Pulling you into another kiss, the two of you spend the night watching movies, laughing at the terrible jokes being made, and simply enjoying quality time together. The perfect ending to a day that is now engraved in your mind.

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larriescompass · 1 year

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Promise In The Sky by Throwthemflowers ( @hazzabeeforlou )

i remember i read this fic a while ago, and it had me in absolute tears. it’s so beautifully written and it really made me want to give the author a hug ❤️ it’s really painful and i felt so sorry for both harry and louis, my heart was aching for them the entire time i was reading.

Have Love, Will Travel by @kingsofeverything

can i say that this fic was fucking hilarious. i was laughing my ass off when louis got his bum stuck in that cave. i really loved the build of the tension in this fic, and the forced close proximity between the two of them. i’m always a sucker for that. the activities they did sounded like so much fun too, it was really entertaining to read.

mirrorball by cherryboys

oh the chokehold this fic has on me. i looped mirrorball for weeks after reading this. i always relate the lyrics to this version of louis. i love how inspired this fic was by the song, and how it all came together at the end. i also loved the slow build between louis and harry. i am a sucker for enemies to lovers. i told all of my friends about this fic when i finished it.

The Admiration Project by blixciit

wow wow wow wow. i adored this fic. i loved louis’ internal monologue and how he “hated” harry for so long, only to fall for him. the concept of the fic was really well done and it’s such a unique idea as well. it came together beautifully and i absolutely sobbed when i finished it.

ti dedico le autostrade che portano al mare (i dedicate to you the highways that bring you to the sea) by me_her_themoon ( @dreamersdivin-headfirst )

this fic was so good! i loved the scenery of it, and the relationship between louis and harry. i absolutely love angst, and this fic had a lot of it. so of course i enjoyed it!! i loved the plot twists too!! luke made me want to punch a wall. i loved harry, and now i really want a harry for myself. i loved the bakery he worked in. i’ve always wanted to travel or move somewhere like italy, so i really really loved this fic. some of the comments Giuseppe made were so funny, and they made me laugh too.

if the sun don’t shine by @falsegoodnight

i conveniently read this around the time where we were learning about dreams and the brain in my psychology class. so i definitely think this helped me on my psych test lol. i really really loved this fic, and i loved that harry played the violin. i found it so adorable the way the boys met as well, it seemed very intimate. i loved the soulmate concept of it too, it was genius. i also loved luci as well, and how she had a story to her too. it was also beautifully written.

now you're in my life (I can't get you off my mind) by we_are_the_same ( @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed )

as someone who identifies as asexual, this fic really touched me. i needed to read this fic because mentally, it really helped me. i’ve struggled a lot with accepting my identity and i felt so close to harry throughout the entire fic. i was crying pretty much the entire time i was reading. i’m just so happy harry got to have a partner that supports and respects him. i could only wish that for myself one day. after i finished reading, i honestly looked at my identity and the world in a new, and brighter light. i just really want to thank the author for writing this fic, it’s truly touched my heart, and i’ll never forget it.

across city skyline (and straight through my heart) by Halos_Boat

i remember i absolutely loved this fic. there was SO much angst and it was soooo good! i loved the dynamic between louis and harry, and how louis developed a crush on harry. i am also such a sucker for bakery aus! it was really well written and i loved the plot twist!! i have to reread this soon!!

Don’t Go In The Woods by guccikings ( @harryeatsburger )

if you like thrillers or creepy stories, i am on my knees and begging you to read this. this fic is probably in my top five favorite fics i’ve ever read over the years. it’s so fucking creepy!!!! i stayed up all night and read it in one go because i just could not put it down!! i had to know what happened next!! i was so stressed and scared reading this too, but in a good way. the plot is literal gold, and i would sell my kidneys to read this again for the first time. now that i’ve read it, i can safely say that i will never go camping! everybody needs to read this, it’s such an underrated gem!! i told all of my friends and i think even my mom about this fic, that’s how fucking good it is. read it.

What If It’s Us? by lovelarry10 ( @chloehl10 )

okay, so you know when you’re reading something SO adorable that you have a warm ball swell up in your chest? that was my chest the entire time i was reading this fic. i usually don’t read fics with this kind of plot, but the art was amazing and i just couldn’t help myself! and i am so glad that i read it, too! it was SO fucking good, and i think i finished it in one go. it was so cute, and i laughed, cried, and smiled so fucking wide my cheeks hurt. this is such a comfort fic, and i definitely need to read it again soon!

Beautiful War by itsmotivatingcara

this fic was really good and intense! i loved the supernatural elements of the story, and the fact that there was a mad man out to get louis lol! i loved how protective harry became of louis as well, there were so many intense moments that kept me on my toes. i read this one super quickly, and i would definitely read it again soon!!

still take you home by cherryboys

i loved the neighbors au in this fic, it was so adorable. this whole entire fic felt like a warm hug, it was just filled with adorable moments. i read it a long time ago, and i still think about it. i definitely need to read it again.

California Sold by @isthatyoularry

i absolutely adored this fic. i loved the aspect of louis being demisexual, and how special and intimate his relationship with harry was. this fic is the reason olivia is one of my favorite one direction songs. it was beautifully written, and i need to read this one again too!

Literally Making Love by Brooklyn_Babylon ( @twopoppies )

i always adore this author’s writing, but i specifically loved this fic in particular. the concept of the fic was absolutely incredible, and i loved how louis literally built harry. i wish i could do that to my soulmate lol. i loved the innocence harry had, and how louis had to teach him to do everything. the way harry fixed louis’ loneliness made my heart swell with happiness. the writing is beautiful. it’s truly an amazing fic, everyone should go read it.

Own The Scars by @crinkle-eyed-boo

i think this is probably in my top two favorite fics i’ve ever read. i’ve never read a fic so fast, and it just felt like i got lost in the story. this story was so fucking incredible to read, the angst was amazing. i loved the plot so much. i’ve read this story twice, and it was just as good the second time, maybe even better. there was this one description of harry, that still sticks with me to this day.

Louis rests his chin on Harry’s chest, taking the opportunity to admire him. His hair is falling across his face; his mouth hangs open slightly, his bottom lip pouting. Peach fuzz dusts his chin, upper lip, and patches of his cheeks. Louis gingerly slides his hand out of Harry’s loose grip. Careful not to wake him, he sweeps the hair off Harry’s face, tucking it behind his ear. He gently strokes the strong line of his jaw and then the slope of his cheeks. Harry scrunches his nose and snuffles; Louis withdraws his hand and holds his breath, fearing that he’s woken him. Harry’s face relaxes a few seconds later and Louis sighs in relief. He continues his exploration, keeping his touch feather-light, gently smoothing out the furrow between Harry’s eyes and tracing the shape of his brows.

He’s beautiful.

there’s no way out (but down) by @ohpleaselarry

this fic was incredible. i would sell my right foot to read this again for the first time, if i’m being honest. the plot and the supernatural elements of the fic were both amazing. i loved how connected harry was to louis, like he’s his own personal superhero. god, everything about this fic was absolutely amazing, please do yourself a favor and read it!! i recommend this to everyone i talk to.

Back To Seventeen by crimsontheory ( @ireallysawanangel )

this fic was soooo adorable! i love teacher fics so much! i read this one really quickly as well. i loved the rekindled romance between the two of them, and how harry absolutely melted around louis. it was absolutely adorable.

I’m probably forgetting a bunch of fics that i’ve read, but i wanted to spread some holiday love to these incredible authors. i hope you all have an incredible holiday, and an even better new year! i’m sending hugs to all of you ❤️

july 2023 update.

Pour Your Heart Out by @hrrytomlinson

after just finishing this fic for the second time, there’s no way i can’t not add it. this masterpiece gave me constant whiplash. one page i was sobbing, then the next i was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. it’s so beautifully written and louis’ character is the embodiment of the sun. i loved the soul mark aspect, it’s brilliant and so well executed. everything about this fic was incredible and so well thought out. harry’s character development made me so proud of him. i would stay up late because i couldn’t put this fic down, and my friend would wake up in the morning to me sending screenshots of adorable scenes and messages of me freaking out over this fic. please do yourself a favor and read this incredible work of art.

#happy holidays everyone!#fic recs #fics to read #larry stylinson fic rec

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sword-dad-fukuzawa · 10 months

Note

I want to hear the niche anime recs

Oh I GOT you. Most of these are all short watches, 12/13 eps, and absolutely worth anyone's time--there's also enough genres here that I hope there's something you like.

Do you like thrillers, bright colors, and edge-of-your seat scifi dystopia action? Akudama Drive had me so hooked I watched all 13 episodes, no breaks, and then it broke my heart at the very end as a parting gift. Fuckin incredible pacing.

Want a silly crime show that's an easily digestible buddy cop until ep7 takes you for an absolute ride with a skyrocketing body count and tonal whiplash? I watched Millionaire Detective: Balance Unlimited just for the seiyuus originally but the cast made me soft for them. 12 eps, not very high octane, and very sweet.

Interested in a vampire romance that somehow manages to quietly deconstruct heteronormative, allonormative societal constructs about falling in love on top of sick character designs and a gorgeous atmosphere? Call of the Night is a brilliant 12 episodes that had me absolutely whipped for the chemistry between the two leads.

Do you want something dark that nevertheless doesn't take itself too seriously? Hakata Tonkatsu Ramens is an anime about hitmen who play baseball on their off days, but it's also about found family and the lead is a crossdressing, grumpy assassin who ends up in a funny roommate situation as the premise of the show. Fantastic use of the style where each arc is a case, and the characters are both hilarious and heartfelt. Thanks to @neon-snail-city for the amazing rec.

Okay, picture this: sci-fi crime/psychological thriller, except you don't know if the twist is time travel, seeing the future, or something else entirely. Captured criminals take a deep dive into the minds of serial killers in order to catch them in Id:Invaded and it's such a brilliant overlooked anime that I can't believe it's so under the radar. I've heard it's similar to Psycho Pass but I haven't watched that yet, so I can't confirm.

Hear me out here: Interspecies Reviewers may be an ecchi pushing the boundaries of how much titty they can show on TV, but it has the most nuanced and intelligent exploration of kink, sex, and boundaries that I've ever seen in anime. And it's batshit hilarious, so if you like dirty humor, this one is a fun ride.

I can't make a niche anime rec list without Mars Red, either. Another vampire anime, except this one is a lot heavier. If you're a fan of anime that deals with grief, what it means to be human, and how to survive in a fast-changing world, Mars Red has some heart wrenching stories to tell you. I've talked a lot about it on this acc if you search the Mars Red tag :)

If you're a magical girl fan who enjoyed Magica Madoka and you're looking for something else bonkers to fill the void, check out Princess Tutu. It has some of the rawest writing I've ever seen, and it's about characters deciding if they want to fight fate or follow it in a crushing exploration of the fairytale genre--it's incredibly meta and self-aware as its main gimmick, too.

This one was popular enough to get a second season, but I love Snow White with the Red Hair too much not to put it here. It's a sweet shoujo romance with a fairytale setting and the female lead is one of the most badass, headstrong women I've ever seen. She doesn't take shit lying down and the male lead is head over heels for her, plus the side characters are super endearing.

#this are the recs i can get behind wholeheartedly #and most of my faves are crime/psych thrillers #but i tried to have one for most main genres #hope this is helpful to someone!

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fineprintedsunsets · 8 months

Text

𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙻𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙴𝚈𝙴

This Is For Haunted Hoedown Day 11! | My Haunted Hoedown Master-List

inspired by your fav psychological thriller (YOU) + "I would burn the world for you”

Synopsis: Cinnamon skin. Pretty brown eyes. My Oh My. She's the apple of my eye.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: stalker!natasha x black!f oc. creepy nat. obsessive behavior. stalker behavior. ownership over human beings? orgasm denial. oral (female receiving) slight praise kink. dirty talk. smut obvi. dual pov. fingering.

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Sweet But Psycho - Ava Max

1:35 ───ㅇ─────3:47

“Hey sweetheart, mind if I grab a seat?” A gentle voice pulled me from my laptop, and my eyes immediately fell on its source. A woman, with crimson red hair falling leisurely at her sides, green eyes blinking back at me.

A breath gets caught in my throat as she parts her lips, lifting her structure to display a coy smile. My head feels dizzy, looking into her eyes, it feels somehow as if I’ve known her for a long time.

My words fall out of my mouth, stuttering until I attempt to form a coherent sentence.

“Of course.”

All that for two words. The woman pulls out the chair across from me, and although I try hard not to notice the way her leather jacket hugs her curves, the sunlight shines across her fair skin. The woman places her coffee cup down, tilting her head to the side.

I can see her winged eyeliner and her faint smoky eye, her nude lipstick placed on her placid lips. Her smile causes heat to pour into my body, and the way she parts her lips makes me want to kiss them.

Knock it off, Maya.

She’s a stranger.

An odd feeling surrounds her though. A mysterious mask she must wear, one I’m dying to look under, to explore and remove. She must catch my ogling, as much as I keep peering over my laptop to stare, it’s understandable.

“You come here often?” She asks, her tone a bit teasing. I clear my throat, rubbing a hand over my face to hide the blush forming on my dark cheeks.

She’s talking about Café Flore, the beautiful flower-themed coffee shop in Paris. I do come here often, every Monday to write my novel, eat my regular order, and move on with my afternoon.

I didn’t expect to meet a beautiful woman this Monday though.

“Yeah, I do.”

She smiles, bringing her slender fingers to reach for her coffee cup, and of course, I think she’s reaching for my arm, but mistakenly she doesn't and the disappointment I feel is hard to cower away from.

“What’s your name?” I ask, clearing my throat of bile, the embarrassment washing away with it. Nervousness pokes at my stomach as I wait for her answer. “Natasha.” I cock my head, meeting her eyes again. The name fits her perfectly, her dominant demeanor, her leather outfit.

She looks out of place in Paris, but I can't deny, I’ve always loved out-of-place things. Mis-matched quilts make up most of my apartment, various fabric patches hold my pants together, and mixed oddities in a china cabinet are a sight to behold.

Unlike inanimate objects, I do not desire to put this woman on a shelf, I want to keep her with the quilts on my mattress.

I want to see her in my bed.

I shake my head, clearing the inappropriate thoughts. She’s sitting right across from me, her pink lips wrapping around the coffee cup-

Is she even into women? Women like me?

God, I hope so.

“Why me?” I don’t mean to be so upfront, but my question is calmed by Nat’s cool smile.

Were calling her Nat now, Maya?

Great.

She laughs, surely noticing the red on my cheeks. I’m eternally grateful for her light reaction to such a rude question. I don’t trust people, even pretty girls who sit at my table. You never know, these days.

“A pretty girl, cinnamon skin glowing in this weather, brown eyes filled with creativity, how could I not sit here?”

Eye’s filled with creativity?

Fuck me, please.

Literally.

My mouth is slightly agape, but Nat smiles, closing her palm around the paper cup. “Let's put that mouth to better use, hun. Are you hungry?”

“Yes.”

My eyes bulge, my words toppling over as I race to answer her question. I shut my mouth immediately, I don’t want to seem eager, or a weirdo, but I can’t help it.

This only happens in swoon-worthy romances.

Not Maya’s-Coffee-Shop-Outing-Monday’s.

She smiles a hint of red on her cheeks. I’m relieved at the sight, I’m happy, ecstatic really, to see she feels at least a little for me.

Pretty girl. Cinnamon skin.

My thighs clench underneath the table, I so desperately want to hear those words fall from her lips once more.

“Do you like apple croissants?” Nat flags down a waitress before I can even answer, it’s ironic she knows my order, it’s what I get every time I’m here. Maybe she enjoys them just as much as me, it is a best seller.

Melody comes to our table, holding a pen and pad, her forehead slick with sweat. It’s a hot day outside, no hot coffee for me. “Hey, What can I get for you?”

“An apple croissant for Maya, hun.”

How does she know my name?

Nat must see my confusion, because she smiles, waves the waitress off, and points to my laptop. I laugh with her when I realize my name is scrawled at the top, along with my address.

For lost and found purposes of course.

“Do you come here often?” I joke, reciprocating her earlier question, and she blesses me with her smile. Me and Natasha talk until my apple croissant comes to the table, cooled off by the inside air conditioner.

I thank Melody, pull the plate over to me, and bring the dessert to my lips. Nat watches my entire encounter with the desert. I feel self-conscious with her eyes on my lips, watching as I bite into it.

All the feelings wash away as the flavors wash over my tongue, the cinnamon and apple baked dessert, crispy pastry cooled to perfection…

“You're adorable when you're happy.”

I pause, bring the desert away from my mouth, and do something I’ve wanted to do since I saw her.

“My place or yours?”

“Mine.”

🥐

Maya was different from the other ones.

I could feel it as I wrapped my fingers around her shoulders, hearing her breath pitch for me. She was more than a pretty girl.

She was my pretty girl.

I would burn the world for her.

I’d been following her for weeks, as soon as I first saw her at Cafe Flore, her eyes glued to her computer screen. I didn’t know much about her then, I was just a pair of green eyes in the distance.

I wanted to scream at her, tell her to pay attention to her surroundings, weird people could be around waiting to grab her at any chance. It didn’t matter, I’d keep them away from my girl, I would teach her how to wield a knife, how to protect her body and heart.

From everyone but me.

I knew her full name by the first few seconds of setting eyes on her face.

Maya Amani Robinson.

It fit my girl well.

Within days I learned everything I could, she was the apple of my eye, my obsession, she was just simply mine.

It helped in situations like these, her back against my apartment door, breath panting as I kissed down her throat. The noises she emitted told me to keep going as I signaled to her shirt, helping her tug it off.

The second her bare stomach met my vision, I knew I had chosen well. My fingers travel to her brown bralette, almost disappearing in her skin complexion. Her fingers found my shirt, my leather jacket lost somewhere in my apartment hallway.

“Doing great, hun.”

Maya tries to hide it, but I see the way her thighs clench, my fingers travel lower as my lips tantalize everywhere, running lines over her collarbone, biting at her ear lobe, making her buck against my door as I smile at her, my fingers finding their way to her patch pants.

They were gone in seconds, her brown hair messy from the pulling of clothes. The only thing that separated me from my girl’s cunt, was a flimsy g-string. That was gone as quickly as I saw it.

My bed was just inches away from the door, but I needed to have her now, pushed up against my wall, feigning over every touch.

“Nat-” Maya sucked in a breath of air, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. She always did it when she was nervous, or stuck on particular wording in her fantasy novel.

“Take what I give you, hun.” I nod, tapping her ankle to grab her attention, not that I ever lost it, she lifts her legs up, aiding me in sliding to g-strap away from her pretty pussy.

She whimpers as her sensitive skin is bare to my apartment’s air temperature. I made sure to let it run when I went to meet her at our spot, she hated warm things on warm days.

We were a lot alike in that way.

“Spread your legs for me, sweetheart.” Maya lets out a string of curses, pulling her legs open as I make her watch, my tongue darts out to run over my lips, teasing her with every move.

Finally, I reside on my knees, pull her legs open wider against my door, and bury my face in her cunt. She tastes divine, like a warm cup of cocoa after a snowy day. She’s already so wet, who knew my girl liked being spread open and eaten out?

Oh wait, I did.

My tongue prods at her entrance as her fingers find my hair, tangling in their strands. My breasts swell against my bra, I can feel the way my body reacts to her, and I know Maya notices.

She attempts to close her thighs as my tongue gathers her wetness, but I pry them apart, pulling away from her cunt to whisper, “Take it.”

And then I am a mess. My tongue slides into her as she cries out in pleasure, I can feel both her and I clench, me on air, and her on my tongue. Her hips buck, but I hold her still, forcing her to take me in, never allowing her to adjust.

It’s punishment in some way.

My hand comes up to part her folds, my tongue drilling into her as my thumb finds her puffy clit. She whimpers as I expose it to my eyes, and I him against her, satisfied at the glistening bud.

I knew exactly how to pleasure my girl, a part of me wished I didn’t. After hours of scouring her social media profiles, I learned of a podcast she hosted, mostly talking about her novel (which was going great so far), but there was one episode where she talked about her experience in writing sex scenes.

I hum at the beautiful memory, hearing her voice through my earbuds as I listened to her talk about her sexual experiences, how her previous partners left her dissatisfied, and how it influenced her writing style.

I was upset at my girl too, even though hearing her voice for the first time was delightful, she shouldn’t be sharing what gets her pussy wet on the internet. There are odd people on social media, some who could go stalking around, and use it against her.

I couldn’t have that, I needed to teach Maya a lesson. My thumbs push at her clit, rubbing circles as crude noises emit from my apartment floor. Maya’s close, I can feel her clenching around my tongue, begging for beautiful release.

And I was going to give it to her.

Just not yet.

“Nat!” Maya begs, bucking her hips in sync with my tongue. I didn’t want to rip it away from her, but my girl must learn. I see the orgasm tense as her eyes close, her face scrunched in a wince, I press against her clit once more before I pull away, watching her body follow my tongue.

I push her against the door, her hips meeting metal. Maya cries from the pain, as she squirms.

“The more you move, sweet girl. The less of me you get.”

She stopped her hips, allowing me to mold my palms to her curves as I get off my knees, and pulled her flaccid jaw to my lips, forcing her to taste her arousal.

Maya kisses me back, but my lips crush her own, my other hand, the one that’s not fondling with the point peak of her breast, snakes down between us, my breast against her own peaks makes it hard for my own desire to be hidden.

My girl will not taste me tonight, but when she does, she’ll know,

She is all mine.

And I am her's

My fingers find her wet cunt, as they slide at her entrance, forcing her to open for me again. My lips conceal her moans as she bucks her hips, taking my fingers with ease. I watch and hear them slide into her, my eyes wide open as we kiss.

I pull away, as much as it hurts. Maya likes my words, in time, she will love them but knows she needs them to get her over the edge.

“You getting close, Maya?”

“Yes, Nat- Please.” She sounds almost breathless, the red on her cheeks more visible than it was in the Cafe.

“You can do it, come on.” My pace speeds up, sliding in and out of her wet cunt, she meets every pull with a buck of her hips, and when her breath hitches, I know my girl is right there.

“Cum over my fingers, hun. Show me how much you want me-”

With that, My girl makes a beautiful mess.

🥐

I wake up to Natasha's intense green gaze, and I swear, every time I see them, I fall in love with her a little more. She cocks her signature coy smile, and when I see it, I can only think about her lips between my thighs last night, ordering me to come.

She tucks a stray hair behind my ear, her fingers running smoothly over my jaw.

“Good morning, you"

#masterlist #fanfic #oneshot #marvel #smut #natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #natasha smut #inklore #hauntedhoedown #hauntedhoedownmasterlist #hauntedhoedownday11

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buckets-and-trees · 10 months

Text

Exactly Like You

Not a fic, but an IMAGINE? It's borderline a fic.

Fandom: The 355-adjacent Characters/Pairings: Nick Fowler x female!Reader Word Count: 1k Summary: This trip was for YOU.

Content Warnings: non-descriptive brief smut, stockholm syndrome

Additional Notes: This is what happened when I got carried away playing the Once Upon a Spooky Time sleepover game for the Bucks & Noble Book Club launch week... This is not my typical writing style, but this is actually how a lot of my plot notes go for when I do write fic. The game was to imagine yourself in a spooky film or tv show. Not edited. SCENE SETTING: Imagine this is a film. We're going to go single film, psychological thriller, director TBD, but let's make it an A24 flick. Michael Giacchino is scoring the soundtrack, because he's masterful creating exactly the vibes with the music to create the optimal viewing experience (from big to tiny background) AND shows up with clever track names.

You are a very competent, normal, hard-working, single millennial female who has focused on building up a good career finally gets a nice career-worthy promotion. It's nothing crazy, but it's noteworthy. Now that you have worked a few months on the position, with a bit of that salary increase that came with it, you decide to and are encouraged/supported in taking a three-week vacation during the brief slow time for just a beat before the company's busy season starts to build up again. You always wanted to write, and so you’re going to a cabin in the forest - close enough to some civilization but far enough that she can be secluded and revel in being alone, about a 30-minute drive from a tiny town, any other cabins aren't close together, etc. It’s a few hours from where you live. Aside from liking the location and the look of the place when you were scoping it out online, the thing that sealed the deal on THIS cabin over the others you were looking at? This extended stay Airbnb is a listing that can be booked automatically and SELF-CHECK IN so you don’t have to awkwardly meet up with the host/owner at any point. You *can* be outgoing, you have good family and friends, but you also like your alone time, and so when you also tell everyone you’re going to go and disconnect from everyone and not to expect to hear from you, they don't bat an eyelash too much. It’s not your first solo trip, just the first extended one.

You show up, the area is gorgeous, and the cabin is not ostentatious by any means, but it's a little bit bigger and a little bit better than you were expecting, and it feels a little too perfect and you jokingly text some people back home that this place has settled it, you’re officially going to embrace the semi-hermit author life living in a cabin in the woods, and you’re never coming back ha ha wink wink.

First days are so nice. You do a bit of writing, surf a bit of internet, watch some movies and shows that have been on your list, do some reeding, really just unwind with no obligations for the first time in a long time. Internet goes out, you message the owner through the Airbnb app on your phone, and the owner says he's on a work trip, but will either try to get someone out to fix it or come by when he's back in town and fix it himself in a couple of days. He apologizes for it being an inconvenience, you reassure him it's fine because you wanted to be disconnected from normal life in general any way, no big deal for a couple days sans wifi.

No one from the company could get out to fix the wifi, so he shows up himself two days later. He's also shown up with some lunch as a peace offering - but no pressure, he'll just leave the food if she doesn't want to have lunch with him, and he'll definitely fix the internet first. He's far too attractive and very down to earth but just a little too charming, and you’re a bit disarmed and thinking this is way too romance-novel perfect, and that even having that thought is silly, but you’ve just been reveling in books/movies/tv/your own writing so you just tells your brain to calm down. He goes about "fixing" things. Wifi's not working on your laptop still, so he asks to see it to "fix" it. You are checking and see it’s not working on your phone yet, either. He asks you to hand it over, and you do because he clearly seems to be competent and know how to fix the system. He says it might take another few minutes, but shoots you a smile and apologizes again for the troubles with the wifi. And his gaze on you is so nice but so intense, and you make an excuse to go unpack the lunch instead of hover/so you can get out of there and breate for a second.

When lunch is ready, so is he. Lunch is charming and normal, feels too nice. You clean up together, you thanks him for coming by to fix the wifi, he casually says he fixed it for him, but not you, and you’re like, “Wait what?” and he explains he’s not leaving, either. And neither are you. If he’s not actually Nick Fowler, he is Seb playing another Nick Fowler character – money, well connected, government background/worked with too many criminals and turning too many assets, and so he's set up this little “trap” waiting for exactly the right person, and it’s you.

Plenty people have come and gone, he’s been watching and waiting. This is it, though. He’s picked, he’s sure of it. He’s never giving the phone or the laptop back, but he’s sure you will love this, too. There’s a typewriter for you to write, and as he’s saying all of this, he’s been closing in closer and closer to you, and he’s been charming and intoxicating this entire time, but now that he’s turned on his hunter mode, you’re quickly falling under, and he presses you up against the counter, cutting off your feeble protests and questions and excuses with the feel of him pinning you with his hips and then kissing you. He fucks you on the counter, and it’s too much to process because this isn’t what you want – except that most of it would be if you’d been able to write it your way instead of being caught in his game – and oh what he’s doing to your body feels too good. And he moves things to the couch, then to the bedroom, and keeps you fucked out and worn out all day, and over the days and weeks gets you so insanely drowned in Stockholm syndrome and the sex…

And he’s soft, but also dark, demanding, doting, dangerous… he’s all of it. TBD if you survive. If you’re a good girl for him, there’s nothing to worry about.

#nick fowler x reader #nick fowler imagine #nick fowler x female reader #nick fowler x you #nick fowler x y/n #nick fowler x yn #aspen wrote something #female reader

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stupidlovergirl · 11 months

Text

Human TV I Think They'd Watch

All the Bros and Dateables

Dev Notes:I have been watching Kitchen Nightmares while writing and how I think Barbatos might like it,, and then it lead to what human world TV they might like,,, maybe spent a little to much time on it instead of working on WIPs

Lucifer

Really likes old people TV

He watches things like How It’s Made, National Geographic documentaries, if he wants a little laugh those shows about “aliens”. Skin Walker Ranch is his dirty little side piece TV show

He just enjoys educational shows because they are easy to tune out

Really loves Soap Operas. Young and the Restless and General Hospital are kept up with religiously(hah). He, Diavolo, and Barbatos usually watch it. Dia really likes it and Barbatos watches when working with Dia second hand while doing work. He latched on after watching it in the background a few times.

Also, just the news. Mans will put on a 24 hour news station and will keep it on for like, 5 days.

Mammon

He watches Harrison Porter, so give him the joy that is Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Would also enjoy the Spiderwick Chronicles movie since he doesn’t know how bad it was compared to the books

Just a big fantasy fan honestly. Loves them.

On another note, he also loves trashy reality TV and News. The only one who beats out his love for celebrity gossip is Asmo. When he is putting on a TV show to go brain dead to its something from TLC, like 90 Day Fiance, I Love a Mama’s Boy, etc.

He watches the Kentucky Derby, bets on it a lot (loses a lot too)

His dirty secret show/movies are Hallmark movies. He watches them when he won’t get caught. Hopeless romantic nerd (Affectionate)

Leviathan

You’re joking

You’re joking right?

Anime or DIE!!! (/hj)

Also really popular fantasy movies based on books. He will rip them to shreds when you watch them. Can be fun if you read the books, annoying if you haven’t.

Has a soft spot for magical girl animes, obvi

There isn’t really much to elaborate on, half of his personality is anime and nerd stuff.

Just a few favorites I think he might have with no explanation:

Tokyo Mew Mew, Yugi-Oh, Death Note, Naruto, Angel Beats, Lucky Star, Soul Eater, Watamote, Saint Tail, and Cowboy Bebop

Satan

King of detective shows

He loves trying to find them out

It is canon he loves the Devildom equivalent of Midsomer Murders, so just show him that too

I think he would like Forensic Files too.

Also, thriller movies. And psychological horror movies.

He loves them, he typically can predict an ending, but it's nice to see how they write out how the characters themselves find out

Asmo

Trashy reality TV!!!!!

He and Mammon watch 90 Day and Mama's boy and talk shit about them.

Loves Maury, Jerry Springer (rip my king), Parent Court when he's feeling a little frisky

Next Top Model and RuPaul's Drag Race. It's about the DRAMA! The OUTFITS!

Watched part of Euphoria but honestly? Found it mid. Sorry but he just couldn't understand the hype after the writing started to plummet.

Has watched Jersey Shore, will not elaborate on his opinion.

Tbh, he also doesn't really watch much because he feels like he has better things to do with his time, he only watches it for Brotherly Bonding, and for background noise

Beel

Haha, big guy hardly watches TV

Watches workout videos primarily

He likes learning new work out and dietary things

Has been banned from watching any type of food shows. Sorry Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Will participate in movie night, primarily for food, buhe does pay attention

Honestly just watches whatever someone else typically puts on with no complaint

Belphie

Much like his twin, doesn't typically seek out TV watching.

Much easier to watch on his phone

He does enjoy satisfying videos

Watches Rug cleaning videos, silly ASMR videos, Video essays when he can't sleep and gets curious. Loves obscure media and icebergs.

The essays are about the only thing that goes on the TV

Sorry but he just doesn't care much.

Will also participate in movie night, almost always falls asleep. Still can tell you the entire plot of the film.

On a very rare occasion will watch South Park. Will not elaborate on this one.

Solomon

Loves old TV shows to some newer ones

I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, The Muppet Show

I cant really explain the Muppet Show, but I know its true, it is in my bones

Honestly loves older sitcoms. They just hit different.

Can I mention I Dreamed a Genie and Bewitched? Classics in his eyes. Would fight to the death for them

Will make a off hand comment on how he doesn't feel like TV is the same anymore

Watches reality TV in the background when Asmo turns it on when he lounges in either one of their rooms

I feel like I just can't explain most of these, but they are the truth in my heart and that is enough

Simeon

Haha...What?

Watches whatever Luke or Solomon puts on or whatever someone else would suggest

He has a preference for books most of the time I feel like. Just goes with the flow

Just suggest something and he'll put it up for the next movie night when it's his choice

I really can't think of one he would pick oops.

Barbatos

He watches whatever Diavolo puts on in the background. Likes the Soap Operas some times, gets a little annoyed with anime voices when he has a migraine.

Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen just hits right for him. Loves the insults

He doesn't much watch TV either though. Prefers audio books since they are easier to carry around

You essentially have to beg to watch TV with him, he's a busy butler ya'know?

Diavolo

KING OF FLEXIBILITY

Has watched all of it, and will continue to do so.

Has a special place for Soap Operas and Ruri-Chan

Seen all the classics, the new block busters, all of it

Honestly you wonder how he gets the time?

He really likes consuming stuff, so he does it when he is working on paper work he puts on the subtitles and turning the audio on low and going HAM

Couldn't be me, I would get distracted

For the most part he's watched it all, and what he hasn't is on his to watch list. He just likes talking to his friends about it :)

Luke

GREAT! BRITISH! BAKE! OFF!

He likes seeing the different foods

It inspires him so much, it's so cute watching his eyes sparkle as he sees something he likes and he writes it down on his phone

Also, he really likes watching Bluey. He lets Simeon and Solomon, and Barbatos found out (because he knows everything), but would DIE if anyone else found out

Also likes early 80's and bad CG horror movies. Kid literally laughs and Mammon is losing his mind next to him. I think because of the bad effects it makes it more tolerable.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space slaps man what can the kid say?

I think I'm projecting hard onto him,, but he's my son so it doesn't matter

#obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #lucifer obey me #mammon obey me #leviathan obey me #satan obey me #beelzebub obey me #belphegor obey me #solomon obey me #simeon obey me #barbatos obey me #diavolo obey me #luke obey me

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bcacstuff · 5 months

Text

Meet the neighbours

Belgian director Dries Vos pulls back the curtain on the making of The Couple Next Door, Channel 4’s dark psychological thriller in which two couples living in the same suburban street become drawn to each other, with dramatic consequences.

Of the three European dramas so far remade for UK television by Eagle Eye Drama – the production company set up by the team behind streaming service Walter Presents – Belgian director Dries Vos has worked on two.

The first was Professor T, with Vos directing 12 episodes over its first two seasons. Debuting in 2021, the ITV series is based on the Belgian show of the same name and stars Ben Miller as a university criminologist with obsessive-compulsive disorder who assists the police in solving crimes.

Last year then saw the release of Channel 4 drama Suspect, an adaptation of Danish series Forhøret. It stars James Nesbitt as a detective retracing the final days of his murdered daughter to find out what happened.

Vos directed all eight episodes of Suspect, which has been recommissioned for a second season, and he has now directed all six parts of The Couple Next Door, the latest Eagle Eye adaptation, again for Channel 4.

A dark, psychological and emotionally charged thriller written by David Allison (Bedlam, Marcella), the series is based on Dutch drama New Neighbours and aims to explore the claustrophobia of living in suburbia, where you never quite know what goes on behind closed doors.

Director Dries Vos on set for Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door

Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch star as Evie and Pete, who move into a new house in an upscale neighbourhood and quickly befriend their neighbours, traffic cop Danny (Sam Heughan) and his yoga instructor wife Becka (Jessica De Gouw). The two couples then becoming increasingly close until events on one fateful night change all their lives forever.

In Belgium, Vos is known for comedy series and crime dramas such as Women of the Night and De Dag (The Day), which dramatised the events surrounding a bank robbery from the point of view of both the police and the robbers.

“But I’ve always wanted to do some kind of sexy thriller,” the director tells DQ. “I’ve always done these more heist stories like De Dag, for instance, but this was completely different. Eagle Eye talked about it in September 2022, when they had two scripts, and I started reading it and immediately felt it could be something. We then started working on it first at a script level, of course, and then we started shooting at the end of March this year.”

Having worked on remakes in the past, Vos adopted the same approach for The Couple Next Door that he used when working on Professor T and Suspect, which is to ignore the fact it is based on another series and to treat it as if it has been created from scratch.

“I never watch the original series. I never read anything about it,” he says. “For me, it’s just the same as if it’s a new script. Otherwise, you’re in danger of stealing stuff.

“If all this influence comes my way, I might maybe try to change my vision and I just want to be clear, so I always start by trying to search for some pictures, some stuff from other movies, some references. I had some pictures that I showed the writer – there were some stills from a movie I love with some koi carp, and we ended up writing some scenes with koi. We influenced each other the whole time. But if you watch the original series then you’re too attached to what you see. That’s not always helpful.”

The series centres on two couples, including Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch as Evie and Pete…

With international dramas more accessible to viewers than ever – and Walter Presents doing as much as any other streamer to take local-language dramas around the world – remakes may seem unnecessary. But Vos still sees value in adaptations, believing the same story can evolve through the work of new storytellers in front of and behind the camera.

“It’s easily said, ‘Oh, it’s a remake,’ but you always try to invent it from scratch,” he says. “It’s the way you approach it visually [as a director] but also the way you’re directing those actors. They bring some other stuff with them as well. A writer brings some other stuff, so it’s good if you get the freedom to make it your own.

“If you don’t have that freedom and people just want to see the same as the original, there’s no point making a remake. It’s always got to be filtered through the eyes of a director or through the eyes of a writer so it’s got another perspective than the original.”

The Couple Next Door doesn’t just stand apart from the series it is inspired by, but from anything else Vos has directed in the past. “You evolve as a director, and you’re influenced by things you see and things you think are cool,” he says. “But what I always try to do is ask, ‘What is this show?’ What does this show need?’

“For instance, I like to play with genres, so this could be a romantic movie but also a fairytale or have some thriller elements, and I put them all in a box and shake it a little bit. Then I put my personality in it and there’s something new or a new visual language, or just the way you’re blocking actors or their language is different or whatever. There are so many parameters you can play with. You can still just remake something on a shot-by-shot basis, but what’s the point of it all?”

…and Sam Heughan and Jessica De Gouw as Danny and Becka

Taking a cue from De Dag, a key visual trick Vos uses for The Couple Next Door is the multiple perspectives at play as characters constantly watch each other. And it’s not just Evie, Pete, Danny and Becka, but also another neighbour, Alan (Hugh Dennis), who seems to have a particular interest in Becka.

“It’s a story about lots of people. My first instinct was like, ‘Ah, this is a story about Evie.’ But if you dig into it, it evolves a little bit more towards a story about Danny and Becka as well because they have problems in their relationship,” the director explains. “There is also some stuff happening with Pete and Evie at the same time, and so it evolves by having those two couples. In the first episode, we focus more on Evie but then some episodes shift a little bit more towards Alan. I always like to have more perspectives on the same story.

“Those perspective changes are really interesting to play with narratively, but also visually. It’s about the ensemble. When you finish episode six, you will have a complete storyline for everybody.”

The filming locations also added to the claustrophobic atmosphere. Location scouts discovered a cul-de-sac in the Netherlands with homes that create a suitably heightened atmosphere owing to the fact they look like they belong in American suburbia. Filming also took place in Leeds and in Belgium.

Vos says he avoided watching New Neighbours, the Dutch drama on which the show is based

“It’s also a bit soapy – it’s got some soapy elements in there. But the series evolves to something completely different and completely dark by the end.”

Throughout the course of the series, it’s safe to say not everything goes to plan for the two couples, as Evie and Danny become drawn to each other over the course of the first episode. Vos used the camera to demonstrate the distances between characters, sometimes starting off distant and drawing closer, and on other occasions becoming more separated.

Of course, the actors are key to getting the right chemistry for the series, particularly Tomlinson and Heughan. Vos jokes that he just says “action… and then stuff happens,” but he also spent time with the actors to break down their characters and explain what he wanted from them.

“They went out for dinner, and there’s got to be a minimum level of trust,” he says of Tomlinson and Heughan. “It’s very interesting to see, but what I was doing was always on a gut level. You don’t have a lot of time because there are a lot of stress factors during shooting, so sometimes you have to decide on the spot.”

The challenges on the show didn’t just come down to finding the right locations to create the drama’s pristine appearance – further exemplifying the show’s theme that not everything is as it appears. In particular, “just finding the right tone was the biggest one for this series,” the director reveals, “I think it works and hopefully an audience will think the same.”

Outnumbered’s Hugh Dennis also has a prominent role in the series

The right tone, one that blends psychological thrills with charged emotion, was still being sought on the last day of filming, and continued into the editing process.

“On the last day we were still like, ‘But what is it?’ Visually we found it while we were shooting but, still, story-wise, it’s only when it’s coming together in the edit that you get that feeling,” he says. “I also spent a year searching for the right music, because music on this series makes a difference. Music can change so much.

“Then when we were at a screening, Hugh Dennis said to me, ‘You found it.’”

Audiences can judge for themselves when The Couple Next Door launches on Channel 4 on Monday. It will also air on Starz in the US and Canada in 2024, with Beta Film distributing the drama internationally.

Can Vos envisage returning for a second season? “Let’s see how it evolves, and if people love it, let’s go for a second series,” he says. “But if it’s a flop or people hate it, then it’s over. Let’s just see what happens in the next few weeks.”

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